


Meme Wars

by ficletsandthelike (schulia_jet)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Meme, Memes, these boys just can't keep from fighting ay caramba
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-03
Updated: 2018-06-03
Packaged: 2019-05-17 21:45:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14839727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/schulia_jet/pseuds/ficletsandthelike
Summary: Twitter banter and awkward feelings abound.





	Meme Wars

Keith scrolled through Twitter, rolling his eyes at the discourse. He was about to turn off his phone for the night when a particular phrase caught his eye: “Send your best memes!” It turned out to be a message from a voice actor he followed, creating a competition of sorts for the best ironic photo on the internet. He smirked to himself and chose his best piece, replying with nothing more than a shrugging emoji. Keith pressed the power button and pulled up his blanket, but a small dinging noise had him reluctantly viewing a notification that someone had replied to him.

@lancelancerevolution replied: im pretty sure that a meme as weak as that doesn’t even deserve to be judged

Attached was a meme of Kermit the Frog that Keith, despite his irritation, had to admit was pretty good. He sighed and decided to take a nap in chemistry the next day, preparing himself for the long night ahead. 

@gayblade replied: It’s not my fault you have wrong opinions.

Lance squinted at the sassy retort, nearly laughing out loud. A crudely cropped image of a goat was the best this kid could do, and yet he dared to smacktalk such a memelord as Lance McClain? He typed furiously, pulling another picture from his arsenal.

@lancelancerevolution replied: last time i checked it doesnt take a genius to tell when you stole a meme from ifunny

The next reply was immediate, next featuring “Considering your grammatical skills and attempts at insults, it most definitely doesn’t.” and a gif. Lance watched the grandma throw fireballs over and over, growing more petulant with each replay. He huffed and retorted with the best meme he could find.

@lancelancerevolution replied: Better now? I didn’t think I needed to waste any brainpower on a twelve year old that thinks he’s hilarious.

Keith was wide awake by now, all thoughts of sleep forgotten in favor of winning the battle against this rude stranger. He snorted triumphantly, confident that his next meme would cause his opponent to give up the fight; thinking for a second, he added a clever quip to address the jab at his maturity.

@gayblade replied: I’m actually a student at Altea University, and though I’m not pursuing a degree in Memeology, I have plenty of experience in the field.

Lance curled his lips mischievously, completely ignoring the picture beneath the tweet. So they went to the same school, did they? There was only one way to settle it once and for all, then.

@lancelancerevolution replied: You. Me. Starbucks on east side of campus at 10 a.m. tomorrow, rain or shine. Bring your best; you might as well go down fighting.

Ten a.m. would be perfect, since Keith had a class at eleven. He felt a prick of concern that this could be a kidnapping waiting to happen, but the coffee shop was always bustling, so Mr. High and Mighty wouldn’t be able to lay a finger on him. Besides, he doubted that a guy with such an obnoxious tagline probably couldn’t win against a black belt. Keith rolled his shoulders, as if to loosen up before a spar, and sent the final message.

@gayblade replied: You’re on. Be sure to pack some towels to wipe up your reputation.

The next day, Keith set out early and jogged to Starbucks, making sure his phone was fully charged with power and memes before leaving. He stepped inside and took out his earbuds, checking the time: 9:53 a.m. Perfect. He collected his coffee and nestled at a small table at the corner of the room. He glanced up every time the door squeaked open, but no one seemed to be interested in arguing about internet humor.

Finally, when ten arrived and Keith was about to give up, a lanky boy strolled in with a lazy grin. He hovered for a bit until he met Keith’s gaze, smile widening. He plopped down and rested his elbow on the table.

“Might you be the gayblade I’m seeking?” His blue eyes were startlingly sharp, and Keith found himself swallowing hard.

“Only if you’re lancelancerevolution,” Keith said. “Just Lance is fine. It sort of loses its edge if you keep saying it, you know?” Lance flounced. The tension flared in the sudden silence, and Lance covered it by taking out his phone and sliding it onto the table. “I’m assuming gayblade isn’t your name?” Lance prompted. “You talk way more when you don’t have a screen to hide behind,” he added, refueling Keith’s frustrations.

“It’s Keith, Keith Kogane. And for the record, I prefer to communicate with more rational people, specifically ones that don’t start meme wars.” Lance waved his hand dismissively. “And yet here you are. Now tell me: when did you first want to learn the ways of the meme?”

They shot insults back and forth, quizzing each other on obscure references and debating the relevancy of each meme to exist since the internet began. They occasionally looked up details, lording each victory over the other’s head until the next opinion came to light. After over half an hour of relentless pursuit, Lance pulled ahead, consistently quoting comics and videos that Keith had never heard of. Keith went to throw his cup away and returned with a glare, throwing his hands up in defeat.

“Alright, fine. You’re the most annoying, overzealous guy I’ve ever met,” Keith grumbled, “but you know a lot about internet culture.” “Haha!” Lance pumped his fist and shouted, eliciting a stare from the cashier. “I, Lance McClain, am an internet connoisseur; it has been decreed by the Lord Gayblade himself,” he decreed in a quieter tone. “And now, my reward,” he said, looking at Keith expectantly. “Reward? It’s weird enough that you think this is some sort of achievement; what could you possibly want from me?” Keith asked. “Your number, of course,” Lance answered smoothly.

Keith did a double take. This guy was just full of surprises, wasn’t he? Lance tried to be nonchalant, but Keith could see his ocean blue eyes become clouded with something akin to embarrassment. A napkin corner was torn off and written on, and his eyes returned to their brilliant luster.

“Whoa, really?” Lance questioned, adding the contact. “We’ve gotta find something I can beat you at,” Keith affirmed. Lance laughed, but it didn’t have the same grating superiority that Keith had sensed earlier. It was genuine, a rich sound that he thought he might enjoy hearing again. “Well, I’ve got a class, so I should head out,” Keith said, standing up. “Until we meet again, Lance McLame.” Lance pouted playfully and waved. “Hasta la later, Keith Kogayne.”


End file.
